Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are pests of domestic animals, bats, wild birds, and man. Climex lectularius is the only species in the north temperate regions that attacks man. Bed bugs are most commonly found in old hotels and boarding houses, but you can also find them in homes, apartments, restaurants, theaters, buses and offices. They are nocturnal insects, feeding at night and hiding in dark places during the day. Bed bugs feed only on blood, principally that of man. The period required to obtain a meal is anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Bed bugs are oval, flattened, wingless, and red-brown in color. Those full of blood are red and slightly elongated. The adult is 1/4 to 3/8 inches long.

Most householders of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they also were a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and ‘50s, the bugs all but vanished. The pests remained fairly prevalent, however, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly being encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, health care facilities, dormitories, shelters, schools, and modes of transport. Other places where bed bugs sometimes appear include movie theaters, laundries/dry cleaners, furniture rental outlets and office buildings. Immigration and international travel have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in the U.S. Changes in modern pest control practice — and less effective bed bug pesticides — are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

This photo was supplied by the law offices of Zalman & Schnurman, showing bedbug bits on the body of Leslie Fox, were taken at the Ellenville Regional Hospital in Ellenville, N.Y., Thursday, July 14, 2005.

Bedbug infested rooms have a very characteristic odor. It has been described as a musty odor, a sweet odor, and even compared to the smell of fresh red raspberries. Other signs of infestation include black spots that have been left on surfaces where the insects have been, and blood stains on sheets and mattresses. The latter is a result of the bleeding that sometimes occurs after the bed bug is finished feeding. Swellings may result from bed bug bites; they are small, hard and white (not red, as with flea bites).

A female bed bug can produce up to 200 eggs during its lifetime. It lays about 3 or 4 eggs per day, cementing them in cracks and crevices nearby. The eggs are white and are about the size of a pinhead. The nymphs take in blood before they molt and reach maturity. This whole process takes place in 5 to 8 weeks. In cases where conditions are not ideal, maturity may be reached in 6 to 8 weeks. The adults live for 6 months or more; some living for 1 and 1/2 years. There are several generations per year, and all stages of growth are usually present within a single room.

Control: There is a strong correlation between bedbugs found in the living area of a household and the presence of bats in the attic. Quite often a population of bedbugs feeding on bats in the attic migrate to the living area. Or in some instances they have been found in bird nests in attics. If you have confirmed the identification of bedbugs in your household, check your attic for bats or discarded bird nests. The first step of control is a thorough inspection of the area. This inspection is required to determine the places where the bed bugs are living. Once the inspection is complete, our technician will determine the proper type of control measure needed to establish control. After the area is treated, it is most likely that a ProActive Pest Control Technician will return for a follow up inspection and possible treatment.

Contact Us today to find out how you can benefit by using ProActive Pest Control

Testimonials

James from ProActive Pest Control was very professional and knowledgable of the pest problem which I was experiencing. He was able to treat my carpenter bee problem, and put measures in place to ensure that it will not reoccur. I definitely recommend ProActive Pest Control for your pest problems.

Olusoga Osinowo

Great and quick Service. Jimmy was polite and on time. There was nothing hidden and he was straight forward. Would definately use him again and recommend him to all my friends and family.

Michael Dagostino

Proactive pest control proved to be the best experience I have ever had as a consumer seeking services. Prompt response. Very detailed & complete information provided and most of all worry free satisfaction. James was so great to do business with. Thanks again. CRAIG

Craig paul

I had a wonderful experience with James at Proactive Pest Control. There was a huge hornets nest outside my bedroom window and when I called him, he was very helpful and responsive. He came out the next day to take care of it and the service was professional and quick. He is very easy to work with and fully explained what needed to be done. The price was extremely reasonable based on my discussions with other companies and the service was topnotch! I would not hesitate to recommend him to others and he will be my first call for any pest issues. Thank you James!

M Yam

Well it’s been 5 weeks since we had our last service and we haven’t had one bite. We had a bedbug problem in our home and I am happy we decided to call ProActive Pest. They walked us right through the whole process and even though it was a lot of work on our part, I am happy we did it because it made sense to make everything work out right. Thanks James and now we can sleep tight and not let the bedbugs bite.

Sean Fee

Over the summer, my husband and I bought a house in North Brunswick, NJ. Within a few days, we had ants and plenty of them along with one pesky spider at our front door.
I scouted out a few places online, read some reviews and decided to call Proactive Pest Control. James answered the phone on a weekend. I honestly didn't expect for him to show up for at least a few days. He was over our home the first thing the next day. He was super nice, his services were affordable and as a bonus, great with our pets.
We have a Mastiff Bull Dog and James was a SWEETHEART to him. I called James the next day in a panic because the ants were still mostly gone, but a few were still dying. He said he was happy to come back over after a few days to re-spray if they didn't disappear. But, by then, they were gone. :)
See you in the spring, James! I know Buck can't wait! :)

Colleen Clark

Flies, Flies, Flies everywhere!
We had 100's of them. Then James came in with his MAGIC solution and within 24 hours they were literally "dropping like flies"
My family can't thank James enough for coming right away and comforting us that the problem will be gone right away.
I would tell anyone that has a pest problem to call James and Proactive pest control right away.

Marc Evans

James took care of my flea problem. He offered to come back until the problem was resolved. He was also kind enough to fix my running toilet...free of charge. I highly recommend him. Thanks James!

Dianne Romer

Great humble guy,(james) very honest, the experience was very great, its 5 stars for sure!!! He came in and got rid of these roaches that suddenly appeared. He did it with ease, i would recommend his service to anybody that needs an exterminator!